The Punjab and Haryana High Court has ruled that an estranged spouse who provided false information about her employment status to secure maintenance from her husband can be prosecuted for submitting false evidence. This decision was delivered by Justice Jasjit Singh Bedi.
The ruling came after a wife filed a revision petition against an order dated October 13, 2021. The Additional Principal Judge (Family Court) had deemed it necessary to investigate her for false evidence under Section 191 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). The wife had claimed she was unemployed, hiding the fact that she had started working as an Assistant Professor at a private university on July 3, 2017, with a monthly salary of Rs 28,000. Her petition under Section 125 for maintenance was filed just a few weeks later, on July 26, 2017.
Justice Bedi emphasized that it is the duty of the party claiming maintenance to disclose their true financial status, allowing the court to determine the appropriate maintenance amount. The court condemned the practice of making false claims, stating it undermines the dignity and sanctity of the judicial process.
In dismissing the plea, Justice Bedi noted, “In my opinion, this explanation is completely fallacious. The petitioner is an Assistant Professor and a highly educated person. At no stage of proceedings up till her cross-examination did she disclose that she was employed… Assuming that the fact was missing in her petition under Section 125, the court could have been informed during the course of proceedings that there had been a change of circumstances regarding her obtaining employment.”
This ruling reinforces the need for honesty in legal proceedings and the serious consequences of submitting false information to the court.
Be a part our social media community:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/IndianMan.in?mibextid=ZbWKwL
Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/indianman.in?igsh=MWZ2N3N0ZmpwM3l3cw==
